Tuesday, April 3, 2018

New Facebook Safeguard

Facebook  is scrambling to add safeguards against
abuse of user data as it reels from backlash over the
Cambridge Analytica scandal. Now TechCrunch has
learned Facebook will launch a certification tool that
demands that marketers guarantee email addresses
used for ad targeting were rightfully attained. This new
Custom Audiences certification tool was described by
Facebook representatives to their marketing clients,
according to two sources. Facebook will also prevent
the sharing of Custom Audience data across Business
accounts.

This snippet of a message sent by a Facebook rep to a
client notes that “for any Custom Audiences data
imported into Facebook, Advertisers will be required to
represent and warrant that proper user content has been
Obtained.”

Once shown the message, Facebook spokesperson
Elisabeth Diana told TechCrunch “I can confirm there is a
permissions tool that we’re building.” It will require that
advertisers and the agencies representing them pledge
that “I certify that I have permission to use this data”, she
Said.

Diana noted that “We’ve always had terms in place to
ensure that advertisers have consent for data they use but
we’re going to make that much more prominent and
educate advertisers on the way they can use the data.”
The change isn’t in response to a specific incident, but
Facebook does plan to re-review the way it works with
third-party data measurement firms to ensure everything
is responsibly used. This is a way to safeguard data” Diana
concluded.The company declined to specify whether it’s ever
blocked usage of a Custom Audience because it suspected
the owner didn’t have user consent. ”

The social network is hoping to prevent further misuse of ill-
gotten data after Dr. Aleksandr Kogan’s app that pulled data
on 50 million Facebook users was passed to Cambridge
Analytica  in violation of Facebook policy. That sordid data is
suspected to have been used by Cambridge Analytica to
support the Trump and Brexit campaigns, which employed

Custom Audiences to reach voters.

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